Monday, January 21, 2008

Comfy Easy PC Review

I was recently asked to review the Comfy Easy PC Learning System for toddlers. Since we're a computer savvy family (okay, we're computer obsessed) and I do allow my daughter to play simple online kid-friendly video games I was intrigued as to what Comfy could offer my child as far as fun and education.

The setup was easy but I still had my husband, the computer geek, take care of that. We installed the Comfy software we were sent - Christmas in Comfyland, First Steps, and My Neighborhood - on an old laptop of mine that I don't use anymore and let Chicky have at the programs with the brightly colored keyboard. We didn't hear a peep from her, except to change software or to help her navigate the harder games, for the next three days. The Comfy Learning System was the first thing she would request in the morning and we had to tear her away from it at bedtime.

She easily navigated her way through the First Steps software, which makes sense since it's rated for beginners aged around 1 year old, and Christmas in Comfyland (also a beginner software package) so we moved on to My Neighborhood, an intermediate ages 3-5 software package.

Chicky is a few months away from her third birthday but the My Neighborhood games posed just enough of a challenge for her on the beginning level (all games come with beginning, intermediate and advanced levels within each software title) to keep her interested without being too difficult and frustrating. Not only that but there are so many games that she can easily navigate through so she never gets bored with it. There are even some games that catch me by surprise because I haven't seen them yet.

Now, the drawback. Some of the games creep my out in that sort of Sid and Marty Krofft way. Some are so over the top happy that my husband and I get the biggest laugh but Chicky doesn't seem to notice. But I have to admit that for what amounts to a kid's video game (albeit educational) the graphics and colors are pretty good. And, believe it or not, I have noticed Chicky learning. She's gotten much better with her colors and her trouble shooting and awareness of the world around her have really improved.

We've had the Comfy system, including the easy to use keyboard, for about two weeks and it's still Chicky's favorite toy. Which any parent of toddlers and pre-schoolers will tell you is nothing to scoff at. She doesn't show any signs of getting bored with it and we will certainly be purchasing the Adventure in Numberland software to help her with her numbers.

Would I recommend the Comfy Easy PC Learning System to my friends, even with a price tag of about $69.99 (including the First Steps software) and with each additional software title retailing for about $19.99? I would, whole heartedly. Computers are nothing to be afraid of and this one is easy to use and fun to boot. We're very impressed with the Comfy Easy PC.